Efficiency Archives - Pamela Ayuso

How to Empty Your Mind for Better Problem Solving & Performance

Pamela Ayuso May 14, 2018

I am convinced that one of the biggest threats to the adult mind is the amount of everyday information we store in it. All day, our brains are sifting through thousands of to-dos and incomplete items:

You forgot to return your client’s call.
The proposal has not gone out yet.
Taxes are going to be due soon, and you have not prepared the documentation.
The printer is acting up and will have to be repaired.
You need to start hiring for a new marketing position.

It is relentless. The reminders do not stop until we complete the tasks. The brain’s goal is to make sure we survive, and this is one of the ways it helps us. And your brain is right: the information is useful and important.

4 Simple Steps to Fix Problems in Your Processes

Pamela Ayuso May 7, 2018

Even with processes up and running in your business, you will still sometimes run into problems. Perhaps a newsletter did not go out on the date it was supposed to, or a report has missing information. It is impossible to foresee and document every single possibility in your processes.

So, what do you do when you find a gap in the way something needs to be done? You have one of two choices: you can temporarily patch it up, or you can prevent the problem from ever happening again. It pays to take the time to figure out what happened and solve the issue for the future.

The Valuable Cloud Software My Company First Implemented

Pamela Ayuso April 16, 2018

The Cloud can be a blessing to a small company.

Just ten years ago, the most viable options available to smaller organizations were lesser-quality systems that needed to be shared via a local server and maintained by an IT person. Because they could not afford an effective on-site system, most of these firms would just keep everything on Excel and share documents on an internal server. It was a very frustrating and now outdated way to work.

Our journey as a firm was similar to that of many other small companies. The following is a short account of the problems we faced in each of our departments with the corresponding solutions we used to solve them with the help of Cloud software.

How to Properly Delegate Work to Your First Hire

Pamela Ayuso April 3, 2018

Sooner or later, your business will grow to the level where you alone can no longer get everything done. It is inevitable: to grow and stay on track with business demands, more help is required.

Hiring a firm’s first employee is a big change that is both positive and challenging. The new hire will not only take on part of the workload but will hopefully bring new skills and practices that weren’t previously available at the firm.

The goal is to train and set the new hire up to be as successful as possible.

Valuable Ideas from Google for Growth and Innovation: Part 1

Pamela Ayuso March 20, 2018

How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg is a New York Times bestselling book published in 2014. From 2001 to 2011, Eric Schmidt was the CEO of Google, and Jonathan Rosenberg was the Senior Vice President of Products at Google and resigned in 2011. In the book, the authors share the lessons they learned in management as they and others built and grew this internet behemoth.

When I first read How Google Works, I was surprised by the many brilliant ideas for business strategy and organization in the book. Although following their example and implementing everything they propose would take tremendous attention and work, I think that just taking a few of their ideas could have a big impact on any business. I highly recommend reading the publication for anyone interested in learning some of Google’s secrets and backstories.

How to Effectively Keep Track of Everything You Have to Do

Pamela Ayuso March 13, 2018

Days are full of activity and go by in the blink of an eye. Between one thing and the next, it will show if ideas and work are not managed properly. We will miss a deadline, forget to call a big client back or drop the ball on an important assignment. Executing is key but so is following-up to ensure that everything that was needed to be done was done on time.

Fear not: there are ways to combat this. All that is necessary is developing a system to keep track of all your to-do list items and ensuring the system works to follow through on all these tasks.

The Benefits of Implementing Processes in Your Business

Pamela Ayuso March 6, 2018

Organizing the operations of a business into processes can be time-consuming and perhaps overwhelming. I did not realize just how much we do on a daily basis until I started cataloging everything. From the calls we make and the proposals we send out, to negotiations with suppliers and communication with accounting, everything we do includes different steps that need to be documented.

The investment, though, pays off: your firm will benefit immensely from implementing processes.

How to Improve and Grow Your Business with Effective Processes

Pamela Ayuso February 13, 2018

So many things to do, so little time: the demands of work can seem endless. There is a certain number of things that need to get done, and throughout the day, we go from one to the next. There never seems to be enough time, and it may seem sometimes impossible for things to get better.

There is, however, an alternative to merely surviving. To rise above the daily to-do list, you can set up processes for yourself, your employees, and your company. These same tasks that engulf a business can be organized into overall processes. The procedures that are designed for the firm will provide more organization, efficiency, and accountability for the work that needs to be accomplished every day.

Category: Efficiency